Wednesday, October 17, 2012

1910 "Tiger Brand" Overalls Advertising Envelope

Full front advertising envelope from J.M. Robinson, Norton and Company, Louisville, Kentucky. The cover is postmarked September 1, 1910 from Louisville on the front and September 2, 1910 on the back from an unknown location. J.M. Robinson, Norton & Co. were the manufacturers of "Tiger Brand" Overalls and Work Shirts. This advertising envelope talks about the "Barclay Flyer" and its durability against barbed wire, green briar and blackberry bushes. It also talks about how well their overalls look even after numerous washes because they're dyed with pure indigo dye.

J.M. Robinson, Norton & Co. are probably most well known for their court battle with Royal Tailors. In 1916, Royal Tailors was denied full title of their Tiger trademark because J.M. Robinson, Norton & Co. had shown prior use of the Tiger mark dating back to 1891. The original J.M. Robinson, Norton & Co. Tiger Brand mark was two tigers pulling a pair of trousers. This was later changed to a tiger head in 1903.

I think what you found was another company using the "Tiger Brand" wording. I don't think these guys lasted up till the 1940s. On August 24th I posted a 1928 Baker Overall Company invoice that also used "Tiger Brand." Maybe it was from them? Apparently multiple companies adopted the tiger as their mark. Do you still have them? Maybe I could help identify them if I see the label/tag.

About Me

I'm a graphic designer and collector of sports and men's fashion related ephemera. I've worked full-time in the fashion industry for over 15 years and have been involved with sports collectibles for over 30 years.